12/08/2015

Freunds Making Wine in France - a wonderful article about La Grange from the Haller Kreisblatt

Freunds Making Wine in France

Eight years after taking over the Domaine La Grange, the results are extremely positive. The winery of the married couple from Borgholzhausen is a success story, its fine wines have so far received 94 to 96 Parker Points.

Being a successful winemaker and having East Westphalia as one’s main place of residence – at first glance this does not seem to go together. After all, among wine connoisseurs, the slopes and hillsides of the Teutoburg Forest are not really considered to be excellent locations for growing grapes. Renate and Dr. Rolf Freund, however, have proven that this unlikely combination of being a vintner and living in East Westphalia is indeed possible.

The Freunds’ winery is, of course, not located in the Teutoburg Forest but in the Languedoc region in southern France. Eight years ago, it was there that the couple acquired the Domaine La Grange – an estate of approximately 45 hectares of vineyards. Theoretical knowledge is now applied in practice.

In theory, the Freunds already knew back then what it takes to produce great wines. At the time, they were approaching their 25th anniversary as an international wholesaler of wine – an area in which they are still successful today. Renate Freund recalls the decision-making process of ten years ago and says, “To us, it just seemed to be the logical step to take all this knowledge about wine that we acquired over the years and to apply it in practice.”

With professional support the Freunds thus systematically began their search. In the end, the choice was La Grange, located near Béziers – between Gabian and Fouzilhon. Jean Natoli, their advisor in that search and one of the best enologists of southern France, considered the winery to have great potential for further development.

The Freunds had placed their bet on the right horse. In just eight years they transformed the ageing facility into a modern business that meets current standards. The heart of the winery, the cellar, was also completely refurbished. The plans for this building, by the way, originate from East Westphalia as well as they were drawn up by the architect Heinrich Bruns. Among experts, the wines of La Grange are considered to be of fine quality. All four lines, Classique, Terroir, Tradition, and Castalides, have meanwhile received numerous awards.

As wholesalers of wine, Renate and Rolf Freund already visited many wineries. But it was the special magic of La Grange that immediately enchanted them. They fell in love with the colors of the blooming gorse, the captivating scent of wild herbs and the diversity of wildlife. “We did, of course, recognize right away that a lot would need to be done,” recalls Renate Freund. But the problems appeared to be manageable. Naturally, the couple’s plan was not to prune each grape vine themselves or to take control of the wine cellar without practical experience. Instead, the Freunds were able to recruit a strong team for the work at La Grange. Sandrina Hugeux is responsible for administration and sales and lives on the estate with her family. Thomas Raynaud, who studied enology and previously worked at one of the top wineries of the Languedoc, is in charge of the cellar and an invaluable asset to the team.

Meanwhile La Grange is well on its way of becoming one of the top wineries of the Languedoc region. 91 to 96 of the much sought after Parker points for the top wine Icone 2013 as well as 94 Parker points for the Edition 2012 are impressive evidence of this success. In addition, the best soil, perfect climatic conditions, know-how as well as the recent modernization of the wine cellar suggest that there is a whole lot more to come, not least because experts consider the Languedoc to be a wine growing area with enormous potential and innovative power. “And we are right in the middle of this development, which is incredibly fascinating and a lot of fun,” says Renate Freund - a fascination that is shared by the entire team. “Everybody is in this with a lot of creativity.”

In spite of all the willingness for innovation, however, tradition and environmental protection are top priorities at La Grange. For one thing, this is demonstrated by the herd of sheep that has recently been added to the Domaine – obviously a return to the origins of the place, as it started out as a sheep farm.

In the vineyard, the team members Pierre-Yves Orciere, François Sebastian and his son Raphael work with great precision and care. They don’t just work in the vineyard, but they look after the vines day in and day out. The success of the wines that are produced at La Grange proves the couple’s concept to be right. They rely on intuition and their ability to envision the entire picture. They also want La Grange to remain what it is: a place that has enchanted them at first sight.

Subtext:Weinkontor Freund was founded in 1984. The company has 28 employees and is specialized in wine, spirits and gourmet food from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. Since recently, Freund also offers products from Germany and, next year, from Austria. Weinkontor Freund supplies resellers and the hotel and restaurant industry throughout Germany. End consumers can purchase products in the company’s store Vinsecco in Borgholzhausen. In France, Freund cultivates an area of 45 hectares, producing 200,000 bottles of wine per year.

Beneath the big photo: Their personal paradise has to do with wine: Renate and Dr. Rolf Freund love their winery in the Languedoc. The numerous awards and especially the Parker points are evidence that the Domaine La Grange was a perfect choice.

Beneath the map:Perfect location: The map shows where the Domaine La Grange is located. The close proximity to the ocean results in perfect Mediterranean climate.